Everyone Has a Breaking Point
by Little Single Signpost
Summary: [SPOILERS] - 9S makes the ultimate sacrifice and 2B is left to pick up the pieces. An alternate telling of Route C if the paths of 2B and 9S were switched.
1. Denouement

9S and 2B bolted towards the surface of the Earth. Their atmospheric entrance was hasty, unpracticed despite their experience. Their entire world, their entire foundation had been ripped from under them in a violent explosion that raked a blinding line of fire and shrapnel through the cold dead of space.

In an instant, the Bunker was gone.

Their comrades, their home, their lives. Now more than ever, their futures were in the balance. There were no backups, no more pristine and finely-tuned bodies in production, loaded with freshly manufactured black boxes ready to receive their consciousness. They had never been invincible, but there was certain mortality that their new situation brought upon them and on some level, it was terrifying.

These thoughts ran through 9S' head as he struggled to focus through the gravity of what had just transpired. He had to stay calm.

He had to focus. He had to.

For her sake.

He'd already virtually had to drag 2B to her flight unit in time to escape the Bunker; the revelation that the Commander herself had been compromised was shaking to say the least. The Commander had always been strict, sure, but there was a certain affinity for her that he couldn't shake. A steadfast loyalty and sense of reliability in her that he never felt reason to second guess. Even after she had discovered that he'd found and accessed highly classified information and decided to give him the keys to the kingdom, confirming his suspicions brazenly, he never felt betrayed. Perhaps it was because he had already had time to consider the possibility, but the only thing that weighed on his mind after such a revelation was how he was going to break it to his best friend, the android flying beside him as these thoughts raced through his head. And if the death of the Commander and the loss of the bunker weighed on him as a scanner, then as an E-Unit…

He hadn't always known, but he had figured it out. Programmed with absolute loyalty, the Executioner was made to kill on command. It was a heartless design 9S had always thought, but he understood entirely its necessity. Killing a fellow android was hard enough to even think about, but a YoRHa comrade? A close friend? A lover? A loyal teammate? Nothing could come between an E-Unit and the job. Fealty to duty had to be utmost, and unlike 9S who had been laid into by both the Commander and 21O for slacking before, nothing had to be said and nothing had to be done in order to ensure that E-Units would do their duty. Thinking back, the most interaction he recalled 2B ever having with the Commander was an acknowledgement of orders and a swift and unwavering "Yes ma'am."

Now, almost like losing a loved and respected general, that was all taken from 2B in an instant.

His heart broke for her dearly, but he had to focus. He had to keep 2B alive. He had to keep them on task. The amount of resistance she put up when he grabbed her arm shocked him, and his own conviction wavered when he met the blood red eyes of the Commander again. _Maybe I could have…_

 _No._ He cut his fantasizing short. Curing 2B had been easier back on Earth, but the virus had barely even gotten a chance to get past the entry phase before 9S had virtually grabbed it by the throat. The Commander was sound of mind and her mental fortitude surpassed that of all other YoRHa models. It had to after all. She was the lead behind their whole operation. There was no way to tell how long she had been infected or how long it would take 9S to deal with it once he got into her head, if he could even deal with what he found at all.

Now, as they tore through the atmosphere, they had a new current directive: keep each other alive.

 _Keep her alive. Please, let me keep her safe._ They would head back to the resistance camp, regroup with the androids there and then they could devise a course of action with Anemone to fight back.

2B took a glance at 9S and saw him staring forward, face filled with bitter determination. In spite of it all, she was tempted to smile. He was supposed to provide support and she was supposed to be the objective-pushing spearhead, but still...so often she found him so easy to rely on. That scene at...at the bunker. "Commander..."

That wasn't like her. It had been a moment of weakness and she cursed herself for it. _If it wasn't for 9S..._

She would have gotten both of them killed.

 _Not again, it won't happen again. We've come too far._

 _I can't let anything happen to him._

 _I won't let anything happen to him._

 _I swear it._

2B was shaken out of her thoughts by Pod 042. "Alert: Multiple pursuers detected."

"Hostiles?" 2B was shocked. They hadn't even fully broken through the atmosphere!

"No... Oh no..." 9S hadn't anticipated this. Not so soon. He had expected opposition, but the form it greeted them in was too cruel. "This signal, it's..."

In distressed realization, 2B cried out, "It's YoRHa!"

 _Keep her safe..._ It rang loud and clear in 9S' head, even as they were swarmed by their fellow YoRHa comrades.

 _No._ 9S thought dejectedly to himself. _I suppose they're not our comrades anymore, are they?_ Gritting his teeth and locking on, 9S opened fire. The deafening sound of wind tearing past their ears was joined by a chorus of the all too familiar sound of flight unit enhanced pod-fire.

Breaking off from each other, 2B and 9S immediately went to work, their statuses as the cutting edge of known technology being violently put to the test. They tangoed with their fallen sisters, scorching hot bolts of energy warming their faces as they bobbed and rolled every which way to stay out of the line of fire, all the while trying their best to down the corrupted pilots...

But it wasn't enough.

Grunts of pain left them in labored bursts as layer upon layer of enemy projectiles rained upon them like hellfire. It was almost as if something was keeping them from being downed. Their methods shook 9S and he took note their persistence. It was uncanny, robotic, unfaltered. The red of their eyes was visible even in the midst of the chaos, their bloodlust and killing intent evident despite their expressionless helmets. No matter how many rounds of missiles 2B fired off, she couldn't seem to make a dent and he wasn't having much luck himself. The efficiency and sheer force of their opposition was like nothing he'd ever encountered. There was no way the YoRHa 9S knew were this powerful. As far as he knew, he and 2B were the heroes of the war, the bleeding edge of YoRHa. So what the hell was this? He couldn't even hack them! He didn't know what it was, but something wasn't adding up and he didn't have time to sit down and figure out what it was. Neither of them did. Like clockwork, a bad situation had turned irrevocably fatal.

"Aaaugh!" A sharp cry of pain from 2B sent chills down 9S' spine and rang through his mind.

"To hell with this..." _2B, please, please trust me._ "2B, I need to take over your controls!"

"Wait, 9S!?"2B sounded nothing short of incredulous. What could him having to deal with two sets of flight units possibly do to make this situation better? "What are you talking about!?"

As Pod 153 attempted to request a control transfer from Pod 042, the two began to bicker. "2B, please-"

"No!" 2B's voice had a strength and a ferocity behind it that caught even herself off guard.

"2B!"

"I said no!" She tried to keep her voice strong and firm, but she felt it falter. 9S wasn't aware. He didn't know what she knew, but she knew better. 9S didn't know, but he had done this same exact maneuver in the past. Something totally selfless and yet at the same time, utterly selfish. And she had fallen for it. _Not again._ She told herself as she mentally commanded her pod to deny 153's request.

"2B!" 9S was beside himself. _Why is she being so bullheaded about this!?_ "2B we nee-"

He was interrupted by his Pod, "Control transfer request denied."

In his heart, 9S panicked. The longer they sat here, the worse the situation became. They didn't have time for this. "Stand by!" Like flexing a muscle, 9S found himself in the virtual control console of 2B's flight unit and in a nanosecond of real time, had successfully commandeered her craft and set a direct course out of the combat zone.

"9S!" She repeated, hoping her voice would somehow force him to follow her commands "9S you better not-" 2B's eyes widened behind her visor as horrified realization set in. At a loss, she began to scream his name. "Stop! 9S! 9S!"

"Stealth function: release!"

Her powerless yells were lost to the wind as her voice faded out of earshot. Her weakly commanding pleas tugged at his heart, but he had a mission.

"Ok..." 9S flexed as he shook the jitters out of his frame. "Let's do this."


	2. False Hope

Adrenaline burned through 9S' veins as his flight unit spun and unbuckled into combat formation. With 2B gone, the heat was turned up to the nth degree as all attention was on him. Part of him couldn't help but feel happy, though. One of his fears was the possibility of some of the androids following 2B, but it seemed as though they were more than content to tear into him instead. He let out a genuine, somewhat amused laugh in the midst of the turbulence and chaos. _These really are a strange bunch._ Wouldn't it be more logical to split forces and go after them while they have no partner to back them up? Plus, 2B didn't even have any control over her flight unit at the moment. His appraisal of their enemy's combat effectiveness immediately plummeted.

 _They're less like uber-efficient killing machines and more like wild animals. They just go after the easy, stationary kill right in front of them._ _On the other hand,_ 9S thought with a loud grunt, _they're really damned good at being wild animals._

9S clicked his tongue as he tried every possible combination of the flight unit's offensive capabilities that he could think of on the fly in order to crack the enemy flight unit hulls. He jammed the sword into the engines, drove his blade in between the joints supporting the arms and legs… The torrenting current of his blade collided with the enemy units again and again, doubling down on the simultaneous rain of his pod-fire, but nothing had the smallest semblance of an effect.

9S' mind was spinning in an attempt to come to a swift conclusion on the nature of their enemy. _I wonder if the virus makes your body impenetrable. But no…if that were the case, why does it extend to the flight units too? More than that, the units 2B and I fought were no more invulnerable than actual YoRHa, only crazed… Nor stronger for that matter. So then...are its symptoms selective?_ "Gah, I wish we'd have been able to gather more information on the logic virus over these past few years."

Pod 153 wasted no time chiming in."Query: given that the Scanner-type YoRHa model's primary function is gathering intel, and YoRHa Unit 9S is the most advanced and adept of the Scanner-type YoRHa models, and the YoRHa models are the most advanced of the androids, would a considerable percentage of fault for that inconvenience not fall on you?"

9S laughed inwardly. _She's growing every day._ "Heh. You...got me there." 9S responded part humorously, mostly pondering. _...This specific outbreak seemed to directly target YoRHa and unlike human illnesses, viruses don't spawn without a creator. A designer. So unless this is a strain of...self evolving and mutating code... No, at this stage, something like that still would have needed to be engineered, right? If so, then this is an attack virus specifically honed to infect and directly influence the logic circuits. Furthermo-_

His thoughts were interrupted by 153's status warning. "Alert: critical damage to flight unit. Proposal: eject immediately."

 _Just what the hell is going on here? I've been fighting these same units forever and nothing's making any impact! Meanwhile I'm barely holding it together here. Just what is this virus?_

Then he saw it. A violent beam of crackling crimson energy flew towards him quicker than he could shake himself out of his shocked stupor. The impact was jarring and he immediately regained his bearings and dodged the next beam that came plowing his way.

"That was… Was that… That was a machine's technique! How in the? That's impossible! That's physically impossible! Pod! Cross reference the consistency and makeup of that beam with data on the beam attacks fired by Medium Bipeds!"

"Working."

He already knew. There was no model of flight unit that could fire beams, much less ones of that much force or magnitude. There was literally no room for it and even if there was, the technological foundation of YoRHa flight units wouldn't support it. The engineering wasn't the same as the machine's in the least.

"Cross referencing complete. 100% match."

"Holy shit…" 9S couldn't believe it. "What the…hell!?" He'd had a hunch that the virus had not only originated from the machines, even maybe designed by them, but this was beyond anything he had expected! "The virus…has the ability to alter the technological makeup of those it possesses!?"

This was beyond, far beyond anything YoRHa had accomplished. "The machines were hiding a capability like this the entire time? This is-"

9S was jarred back to reality as his flight unit burst into flames. His eyes looked around frantically to assess the damage as 153's voice met his ears.

"Repeat, Reactor core temperature rising." was 153's steady cadence. Immediately after, 9S' sword dissolved mid swing and his pod ceased fire. "Alert: FFC and NFC systems unresponsive."

"Damn it!" 9S growled. Looking down, he spotted a stretch of land in the Flooded City. "That'll have to do! But… I need to know." Looking up, 9S fixed his sights on one of the corrupted flight units. "Please, please let this work." With a last boost of power, he grabbed the unit, latching on as tightly as he could as he drove the both of them towards the coast at top speed.

"Pod! Countdown until impact!"

The pod responded from her cockpit. "T-7 seconds."

The enemy unit began to struggle against his grip and heard a dangerous creak as the joints of his flight unit came loose.

"6."

9S struggled to keep his hold on the unit as the temperature of his holsters reached unbearable degrees, the flames of his damaged flight unit growing hotter.

"5."

9S felt like fainting, the pain was so great. A piece of the red hot metal began to sear into his shoulder and his eyes glued shut in agony.

"4."

He couldn't take it. "That should be close enough." He said haggardly.

"3."

As he pried himself out of his cockpit, he noticed 153's eject system was stuttering.

"2."

"Shit! Shit, shit shit!" he pulled on 153 with all of his might.

"1."

With one final heave, she was wrenched loose, and he clutched her tight in his arms as he jumped from the unit, tucking his head and knees and hoping for the best.

"0. Brace for impact."

The deafening roar of an explosion hugged the coast of the flooded city as the two flight units struck the hard gravel of the broken bridge.

9S and 153 collided with the surface of the water, the impact stuttering 9S' optical sensors as he and his pod sank to the bottom. Water flooded his air system and he began to panic as the light from the sun grew further and further away, the water seemingly holding him down as the various currents swam around his body.

9S hugged his pod to his side and frantically kicked as he struggled to swim for the shore to no avail. The current beat his body away and pain radiating from his shoulder flared as he tried in vein to swim them to safety. _No!_ The darkness began to grow thicker as the light from the sun above fell out of sight and 9S grit his teeth as fear and desperation set in.

 _No, not here. I can't… Not like this._

Despair gripped him as the water took him further from shore.

 _...2B…_

He couldn't give up, not like this. _Pod! Use Wir-_

As 9S subconsciously raised his right arm in command, a streak of pain like molten lava exploded from his right shoulder and rattled his senses, the sound of static briefly filling his ears. 9S struggled through his thoughts, unable to focus through the pain as the damaged sections of the reinforced tubing in his shoulder began to fray and water began to flood the exposed sections of his circuitry. Slight compulsions racked the right side of his body as he fruitlessly attempted to stop the flow of water, while the light on the surface of the water grew further and further away...

Suddenly, a jerk shook 9S' left arm as Pod 153 fired its glowing wire program into the submerged window frame of the sunken skyscraper ahead of them. 9S's eyes widened behind his soaked visor as he locked eyes with the black chassis of his pod, beside himself with shock as it reeled them both in. "Proposal: remove the connections that link the effected area to Unit 9S' electrical and nervous system."

Grinning through the pain, 9S remarked inwardly. _Well I'll be damned._ Ripping out the key components that provided power to his now spasming and useless shoulder, the nearly unbearable pain ceased and the water flowed harmlessly against the dead and sectioned off circuitry. 9S silently, but wholeheartedly praised the late YoRHa engineering team for implementing independently functioning, sectioned off cascading power flow into their bodies. It was for situations just like this, so that an entire unit didn't have to suffer or be permanently downed because of the malfunction or failing of another part of their anatomy. Pride swelled in 9S' heart and he nearly felt the urge to salute. It might come at the cost of a joint and any successive dependent limbs, but even critical electrical damages like 9S was experiencing couldn't keep them down.

The red eyes of his comrades, of the Commander, lingered in his psyche. _...Unless it attacks your core._

As 9S' boots collided with the anchoring surface of his Pod's program, melancholic clarity gripped his mind and the bleakness of the current situation drew a mantel of bitter determination back over his conscious, any sense of stupor after his electric attack driven away completely. Mind clear and free of physical distractions, he issued the command fully this time. _Wire!_ Another golden cord shot several stories up and heaved the duo closer and closer to the surface. _Wire!_ Using the window frames as footholds, 9S kicked off, thrusting himself and 153 upwards, wary and afraid for what awaited him at the crash site as he broke through the surface of the water.

As he pulled himself and 153 out of the surf, 9S thanked his Pod for its understanding of his unfinished command. An understanding that saved both of their lives.

Her response didn't surprise him in the least. "Gratitude to tactical support units is unnecessary. This pod was acting on an estimated approximation of YoRHa Unit 9S' unfinished command, a proactive action that was deemed necessary for the well-being of both YoRHa unit 9S and this pod."

9S had begun rolling his eyes halfway into her dialouge. "Yeah, yeah." _Just when I think you're starting to come around._

"One affirmation will suffice."

9S froze. Hearing that phrase sent a chill down his spine. The Bunker…

"Operator…"

The pain of the situation doubled down upon him. 9S slowly peaked his head around an old car on the shore as he surveyed the crash site. Flames were roaring and to his surprise and relief, the other three enemy flight units he had fought were not stalked on the coast awaiting his return. _What a relief._ It seemed that his own flight unit had skidded a few yards away from the enemy's, perhaps a result of it flying loose before impact after 9S had abandoned the controls.

It seemed the enemy flight unit had take the brunt of the damage. Looking around to confirm there were no hostiles in the area, 9S' thoughts immediately went to 2B.

"Pod, where's 2B?"

"Located. YoRHa Unit 2B's flight unit is landing in the Resistance Camp."

9S was surprised. "Just now?"

"Hypothesis: YoRHa Unit 2B's flight unit took an alternate route in order to avoid contact with hostile machine life forms and corrupted YoRHa Units."

 _2B…_ She was probably going out of her mind right now trying to get back to him. He hadn't expected to survive, but now...

"Pod, contact 2B."

When 2B's face showed up on the projected screen in front of him, his heart fell and guilt swarmed his conscious. She was totally distressed, and through the filtered hue of the projection, he thought he saw windblown tears marks on her face. Her eyes were sad, but they perked up and stared almost disbelievingly as they searched his face. "9S! I-are you alright? Where are you!? I ca-"

"2B! I'm okay! It's alright, I'm fine. _"_ He elected not to tell her about his shoulder until they actually met face to face, not wanting to worry her anymore than she already was. "Everything's alright."

He smiled, and she began to return it before something reminiscent of frustrated anger overtook her face. "Don't ever do that again! 9S I...I thought you were going to die."

 _2B..._

"Where are you?" She half-demanded. "I'm headed towards you now."

"I'm in the Flooded City. I'll meet you at the Resistance Camp in no time. Just try to stay put until then, okay?" He added with a playful tone.

"9S, I'm going to come to you."

 _What?_ "No, 2B! I need you to stay where you are. I'll be there as soon as I can, I'm only checking something out here."

He could tell she was about to shoot back with some sort of argument on why what he was saying was illogical, so he thought of something on the fly. He didn't want to lie to her. He hated the idea. But right now, there were more important things at stake and he couldn't risk her getting hurt or worse for his sake. "I discovered that the corrupted androids only tend to swarm and attack when there are two black box signals together. If you can just give me some time to work my way to you, we should be good until we can at least get behind the Resistance Camp's signal barriers." 2B remained silent, head still faced forward but he could tell she was pondering. "C'mon 2B. I'm a Scanner. Recon and stealth is our forte. You B-Units tend to underestimate us, but we're the ones going deep into the heart of enemy territory without backup on a regular basis." In his heart, 9S smiled warmly. 2B wasn't an overbearing or doting person. This wasn't something she did with him on a regular basis, if at all, but he knew that their current situation had put her on edge and he couldn't blame her.

She looked conflicted, but she finally sighed and gave a soft smile, voice as steady and trusting as ever. "Alright."

He returned the gesture with his own smile as he responded. "I'll be with you before long."

"Okay. I'll be waiting." was her reply before he ended the call.

 _2B... I'll make it up to you as soon as we get this whole mess figured out._ "Alright." He announced to his Pod. "Let's check out that unit."

9S closed in on the flaming unit warily as he scanned for black box signals, heaving a sigh when he found nothing. "Alright."As he approached the wreckage, he was pleased to find that the enemy flight unit was totally and entirely inoperable. It was a trash heap. "Well at least now we know they have a weakness." Relief flooded his systems at the notion that their enemy was in fact, not invincible. "That said, we can't exactly all go throwing ourselves into suicide attacks whenever we encounter an enemy that's more tough than not... We just need to find a way to...hit harder. Damn it, we need more information..."

A signal suddenly blared to life as out of the flames ran the burning corpse of the corrupted pilot as it pinned 9S to the ground, the red hot metal tips of its gloves searing into his throat as he screamed in agony. He burst into tears as the pain rocked his system, his legs flailing and his gloved hands clawing at the dirt in search of some sort of relief as its hands tightened around his neck. The disorienting red light of its eyes was visible through the cracked frame of its helmet, nearly blinding 9S at such close range as his assailant grinned seeming ecstatic with the notion of killing him, as though nothing could bring it a more euphoric feeling.

Managing after multiple tries to get a firm grip on its waist, 9S threw the android off of him, summoning his sword before watching it clatter to the ground as he made a fruitless grab for it, forgetting for a split second that he had no active nerves in his right arm. The brief moment that slip up cost him was just enough for the corrupted unit to make another lunge for him. Phasing out of reach, 9S spun to a halt as the corrupted YoRHa charged him again, his mental command to fire neglected by his pod who flashed a FFC System Failure notification in his optics. Shoved to the ground again, 9S utilized the protocols he mined and studied from Unit 8B's data directory to shift his weight and toss the assailant again before she could a grip on him, but this time, he didn't make the same mistake. In an instant, he tightly grabbed the hilt of the sword 153 held out for him with his left hand and ran the golden blade through what was left of the burning corpse. He frowned seeing the beautiful face of his former comrade through the broken shell of her helmet, her face twisted into a permanent smile as her red eyes slowly dimmed. _Damn it..._ he began to choke up.

 _Damn it..._

 _No one should have to go through this. This shouldn't be happening._ Even as he tenderly touched the seared holes in his neck, each painful wound forged in the shape of a finger, tears began to pool in his eyes. _I'm so sorry..._

Suddenly, an agonizing sensation pulsed through 9S' black box. It ran up his spine like buzzsaw, briefly causing his back to violently snap backwards and his limbs to seize. Hyperventilating and reeling at the sensation, 9S fell to his knees as a new sort of pain began to rock his system. It radiated from his throat and shot down his body in waves, blaring static in his ears and running disorienting bands of gray and white through his optics.

"Alert: virus infection detected."

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry to end the chapter here, but I have to get my thoughts together for the next part. There's a huge scene coming up, after all. As for this chapter, part of me wants to say that it's still a work in progress, but I'm going to try to abstain from letting you know my opinions on the chapters as I write them in order to allow you to form your own without my own dialogue swaying you either which way.

At any rate, this is the first story I've ever written, so please bear with me.


	3. A Reason to Lie

9S' eyes were glued shut as mind numbing pain pulsed from his throat in suffocating swells and speared through his black box. Knees and head pressing firmly into the dirt and gravel, his hands were raised to the wounds in his neck where the pain seemed to emanate from, a moot gesture with the intent of staving off the pain that coursed mercilessly though his system.

Noticing that her charge had yet to take the appropriate measures to combat the threat to his life, Pod 153 spoke. "Proposal: Initiate self-hack to eliminate the virus."

Struggling to gather his thoughts, 9S managed a reply. "Got it." It was easier said than done, though. At the mercy of the logic virus, 9S instantly understood what 2B and the other units went through only hours ago on the battlefield. This virus was…almost sentient. The way it thrusted itself through his system, it wasn't random, a stray symptom or side-effect of a foreign mishap in coding. All suspicions were confirmed. This was an engineered attack. The virus virtually shoved itself through the innerworkings of the host and made a direct seize for control of their black box and thus the unit as a whole.

With effort, 9S found himself in the white plane of hacking space. To his surprise however, what he found was nothing like what he encountered when hacking 2B or the other battle androids. He found he was in a virtual manifestation of his own body and ahead of him stood what seemed to be two little girls.

The way they stared at him was uncanny, unnerving. Their faces emitted a sense of innocence, but at the same time there was nothing but a practiced and undaunted sense of knowledge, experience, might and a ghastly cool emitted from their eyes. As his head whipped around, eyes diligently scanning his surroundings, 9S found absolutely nothing indicative of a viral infection, but as he returned his gaze to his front, a heavy feeling set in his gut and his brow furrowed. Everything within 9S told him that the source of his infection was staring him unamusedly in the face.

He already had an idea. These girls were undoubtedly the only things here in his virtual systems that shouldn't be there and the longer he stood in front of them, he could practically feel the suffocating viral flare rolling off of them in waves _. Is this a virtual projection of the ones who created the virus?_

"Who are you?" He asked, voice steady and firm.

The sound that returned shocked him.

"We are the Machine Network Terminal." The baritone and deep male voice that resounded from the miniscule and feminine forms in front of him caught him well off guard.

Before he could get out another word, they continued with an ever so light air of narcissistic and condescending authority. "We will be taking control of you and we will be using you. Do not try to resist. There is nothing you can do."

Without delay, 9S' virtual body began to crackle and his pod's voice reverberated through his mind. "Alert: virus contamination rate at 10%."

Mind spinning to solve the problem, 9S decided that taking care of the alleged "Network Terminal" was as good a place to start as any. 9S immediately drew his sword and bared down on the diminutive forms in front of him, panic flaring in his heart when the girls began to multiply after each killing blow. As copies began to spawn in his virtual space, they began firing spheres of volatile energy towards him and 9S did all he could to dodge them as the status report from his pod rang in. "Alert: virus contamination at 15%."

As 9S looked around, legions of the girls clouded his vision. All attacking him, all of eerily varying sizes and proximities with seemingly no end or form of hope in sight as he mowed down copy after copy. "They just keep coming! What the hell am I supposed-" Suddenly a thought came to 9S' mind. "Wait a minute. At this rate…" 9S observed as the enemy continued multiplying. "They're gonna burn themselves out!" A grin lit 9S' face and new vigor flowed through him as a the light of hope was lit in his heart. "All I need to do is last until then."

"Negative: the Network Terminal has been bonded with Unit 9S' consciousness. Hypothesis: this occured during Unit 9S' capture by the machine lifeform Adam. As it stands, allowance of enemy consciousness overload would result in the successful conquest of YoRHa Unit 9S' consciousness data. Result: YoRHa Unit 9S would become irrevocably compromised."

Mercilessly, the glimmer of hope was snuffed out and a feeling of pure dread washed through 9S as he numbly replied. "…What?"

"Alert: Unit 9S is nearing the Resistance Camp where multiple androids including YoRHa Unit 2B are residing. Hypothesis: contact could prove detrimental to fragile state of android ranks if further units are infected. Proposal: YoRHa Unit 9S should exit hacking space and regain control of motor functions to alter course."

"What!? I'm…moving!?"

"Alert: virus contamination at 20%."

As he forced himself back to reality, 9S froze in his tracks as he felt an unseen force propelling him to the resistance camp some 400 yards away. "What the hell!?" This was absurd on multiple levels. Not only had the virus somehow been controlling his body while he was unconscious, but his perception of time had even been altered to where what shouldn't have even been a second in real time had translated perfectly to long enough for him to have made his way to the clearing before the resistance camp!

His pod's status alert came in again. "Alert: virus contamination rate at 25%."

As 9S stared at his shaking legs, the gravity of his situation fully set in and sorrow began to overtake his systems. "Sorry 2B… It looks like I won't be able to make it up to you after all." Clenching his rough leather clad hands and forcing himself to face the opposite direction, 9S began to trudge painfully away from where 2B was waiting, just beyond the boundaries of where he said he would meet her.

* * *

Within the limits of the camp, 2B and Anemone stood on either side of the Resistance leader's desk.

"Did he say anything else?"

"No, but if there's a connection between the proximity between two black boxes and the enemy's attention, then your people should be safe."2B stood, posture as professional as ever and her tone was all business. There was a certain reliability to it that as a leader, Anemone appreciated, nodding as 2B continued. "There aren't many YoRHa left, if any, so 9S and I will just have to be careful about how we traverse and communicate with each other until we've got this all figured out."

"Thank you, 2B. Speaking of 9S, can you really believe that he's going to be okay?"

"…How do you mean?"

Anemone pursed her lips, hands on her hips as she elaborated. "You said yourself that he had to hack your systems to get you to safety. Are you sure the guys that attacked you are going to let up so easily?"

"I'm not clear on how he escaped, but 9S was YoRHa's top recon specialist. If anyone will be able to recover the information he's studying as we speak and returned unharmed, it's him. But thanks for you concern."

Anemone's eyes widened slightly. " _More_ gratitude? Wow, you've really been outdoing yourself lately 2B." A grin graced her features.

2B wasn't sure how to respond to that, so she opted for silence instead.

"Hah… Well at any rate, you should go ahead and rest. 9S won't be back immediately and you should probably be in your best condition in case something happens. Thanks again."

As 2B returned to her and 9S' room, she sat on her bed, swinging her leg around to rest on the covers as she laid her head on the pillow. "Pod, wake me when 9S arrives. If he hasn't arrived in ten minutes, remind me to contact him for a status report."

"Affirmative."

"When 9S arrives, we can get to the bottom of this and put an end to this hell." 2B closed her eyes under her visor and exhaled slowly as sleep overtook her.

* * *

As he summoned a glitched and crackling virtual screen in front of him, 9S began to search for locations absent of android signals. He could feel the Network Terminal working violently against him as a wave of pain washed over his body again and his legs gave way before he threw a shaky boot out and caught himself. They didn't want to destroy his body. They needed him. They said it themselves, and that was their biggest mistake. 9S struggled through the pain as he forced himself forward. _No matter how painful it gets, no actual harm is going to come to my body. Just go. They want me to lose consciousness. They want me inside the Resistance Camp. Just walk. Your motor functions aren't going to be damaged. I can make it. Unless…_

On cue, the shifting cranks and springs of metal greeted 9S' ears as he surveyed the red eyed machine lifeforms that approached him. Summoning his sword to his only good hand, 9S sent his blade towards the bronze helm of a machine before the sword dropped dead to the ground, the telekinetic field of his NFCS failing. Frustration coursed through 9S as two holograms appeared in front of him, heads cocked ever so slightly to the side and faces permanently unamused. "Damn you…" he cursed.

"Alert: virus contamination rate up to 30%."

Backed up to the gap suspended over the city sinkhole, he forced himself through another bolt of pain to retrieve his weapon. 9S brandished the blade the only way he now could, holding it at length in an attempt to keep his attackers at bay. It was a fruitless gesture, he knew, and that thought was confirmed when a medium biped came plowing towards him and he was forced to make a dive for the other side, plunging his sword into the bedrock of the clip on the other side and pulling himself up before the red wave of energy came colliding into the space where he had just been hanging. As he reached his feet however, a particularly violent surge of pain rocked him and he momentarily loss feeling in his limbs. As his body met the dirt, 9S regained his sense just in time to make several fruitless and desperate grabs at the ledge as he fell into the ravine.

His body met the wet flooded soil of the entrance to the caverns with an painful and jarring rattle. As he picked himself up, he immediately began climbing the ladder, desperate to get back on course before 2B inevitably came looking for him, if he hadn't started already. As he began to ascend, pain rocked his body again and he unceremoniously fell back into the water.

"Alert: virus contamination rate up to 35%"

Undaunted, 9S picked himself up again, announcing with a firm tone and a slight growl, "I will _not_ let them get to 2B." As his hand tightened around the metal rung, 9S once again began to ascend, reciting a constant cadence in his mind to keep him going. As he pulled himself out of the gap and into the greater clearing of the sinkhole, he noted the brief moments of calm in his systems before particularly large swells of pain and took advantage of them to evade his enemies.

"Alert: virus contamination rate up to 40%"

9S sighed as he responded to his pod's alert, a dry sense of wit painting the tone of his words. "You don't have to keep telling me, y'know."

As he soldiered through the pain, 9S began to make his trek to higher ground, even the more painful shocks becoming numb to him as his mind began to wander, focusing on better things. Resigning his sword to a walking stick, 9S dwelled on feelings that should have been long forgotten, feelings that were the culmination of three straight years of blood, passion, sweat, love and tears. There were things they could never erase, no matter how many times they tried. Every time 2B was forced to kill him, he underwent a wipe. His memories, the times he and she shared were destroyed, but there were things they couldn't quite reach. The basest and most foundational facets of 9S' being were left behind like the foundations of the ruined buildings crowning the mouth of the ravine he trekked across.

What exactly happened, what used to be, there was no way for him to truly know, but what he couldn't deny was what he felt for 2B. Trying to make sense of it, it was a challenge unlike anything he had encountered. Consciously, he had only met her a few weeks ago. In fact, his own internal clock said that he had only been active for around a month before the fact. Consciously, he was a newbie Scanner who was redesignated after a month of recon runs to support YoRHa Unit 2B, a longtime unit whom he had no prior interaction with. But factually…

There was no easy way to say it. 9S wasn't assigned to 2B. 2B was assigned to him. 9S wasn't a new Scanner. He was three years old. Same as 2B, same as most YoRHa units, with him and 2B being the proverbial babies. He had been on countless missions, a lot of them solo, some of them with various other Units, but most of them with 2B. She was a highly accomplished master assassin assigned as his executioner, but… He didn't know what sparked it, but over the three years they spent together, something forbidden between the two of them burned and only continued to grow. It was something precious that budded without fail, flourishing against all odds like a rose in a sea of concrete and rubble.

"Alert: virus contamination rate up to 60%. Infiltrating system-protected region." 9S winced at static blared in his ears and his vision became severely distorted, his legs becoming heavier and harder to move.

He was a man who knew nothing, a man that didn't even understand the feelings that drove so much of what he did, but it didn't really matter to him, because for him, those feelings were enough. It was…natural, the rhythm and groove they found themselves falling back into. With him, information was invaluable and the data Scanners collected was even moreso, especially coming from a Scanner like him. Layers upon layers in depth and crucial to the advancement of their cause. And yet, before he knew it, he was sacrificing it all, sacrificing himself, a top of the line Scanner, for the life of a B-Unit, whose prime mode of usefulness can be duplicated by a simple body replacement. Moreover, a B-unit whom he had little to no conscious knowledge of. Touching all the right places, engaging her in banter, surfing through her cold persona and short remarks as her own slip-ups spawned subconscious reactions and responses from him that inwardly, caught even himself offguard.

In their day to day, he was simply carrying out missions with his battle-oriented partner, but below the surface, he was fighting to take back the Earth with someone… _for_ someone he had once claimed to give his life to. Someone he had discovered and shared the light of life with. Someone with whom he had sat up with for hours on end, doing nothing but regaling her with stories and facts he had found on the world they inhabited. The one person he valued more than anyone else. No matter how many times he learned of the futility of their cause and the impending doom of their kind, he continued to fight, not only for his comrades, for 21O, Anemone, 6O, Pascal, Commander, but for her.

"Alert: virus contamination rate up to 70%. Permanent loss of motor controls imminent if action is not taken." Sweat poured down 9S' face as he struggled to focus on the bridge through the disapproving glare of the little girls floating in front of him.

Even if he was erased from the world and eliminated from their ranks, he took pride and peace in the knowledge that she would be able defend _her_ memories of their time together. Even after he dies, those memories would always be all they had left of each other. As long as they could just keep those memories alive…

And no matter how many times she was forced to put an end to him, no matter how many times she was forced to put an end to _them,_ he would never hate her. He couldn't. All he wanted to do was give her the best he could, but now…he wasn't so sure he could do that anymore. At least he'd be able to protect her one last time. Give her a chance to live the life she never could as an Executioner for YoRHa.

As 9S' foot met the dirt on the other side of the bridge near the commercial facility, his movements grinded to a total halt. In a vaguely aware panic, 9S watched, almost in an out of body experience as his body began to turn around and walk the way he came.

 _Shit!_

He began to make his way back across the bridge, pace rocky as he fought for control from the girls who manifested themselves in front of him, keeping pace with him despite their lack of action.

 _No…_ Frustration and desperation clawed at 9S as he tried to force himself to turn around. Tears began to pool in his eyes.

He continued to backtrack across the bridge, even as he received an incoming call from 2B. _No, please…_ But it was too late. She had seen his face and the agony and exhaustion that gripped it draped a blanket of confusion and worry on her tone.

"9S?" Despite the situation, she still managed to sound steady and slightly authoritative as she questioned him. "What's going on?"

In a panic, he hastily ended the call and blocked the next incoming transmission, but he already knew that she would be on her way. _Think_ 9S!

As his gaze fell to his function arm, a thought came to his mind. _The network terminal hasn't managed to commandeer all of my body yet…_

With one last push, 9S summoned all of the strength he could muster to raise his hand to his throat, arm to weak to even handle his sword anymore. As he began to squeeze, the little girls watched him, still seemingly unamused.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence since he left the Flooded City, they spoke as one.

"You disappoint us, YoRHa Unit No. 9 Type S." The tone with which they addressed him was dismissive and before he knew it, he saw corrupted YoRHa units rushing towards him from the commercial facility. If they couldn't have him, they would make sure he would die painfully by the hands of those he trusted. In an instant they were upon him, blades thrust into his frame and combat bracers and bare fists alike pounding into his skull. Reflexively, he raised his arm in defense, but in the end, he lowered it, hoping only that they'd be able to finish him off before 2B got there.

Suddenly a blade erupted from the chest of his attackers and he panicked. _No. No, no, no, no, no! 2B!"_ But the face that greeted him as the rest of the corrupted units began to fall was not 2B's. It was an image of hers, but somehow all too distant.

"A2…" he managed.

The blade she carried crackled with electricity as she slew the corrupted units, her stark white hair billowing around her as she turned into a whirl of destruction. Before he knew it, the assailants were all dead with more on their way. "Behind you…" He croaked.

She saw them and the number was greater than the mob that had just attacked him. It had to have been around twenty corrupted units that approached them from the commercial facility, pouring out of the entrance violently like ants.

"Shit…" He heard her mutter.

A violent clang and the sounds of metal being torn met his ears and dread filled his heart as he laid eyes on the scene on the opposite side of the bridge. In the distance, 2B was working towards him, gracefully tearing through machines as they blocked her way. Turning back towards A2, he watched as she engaged the corrupted units as they swarmed them on the bridge, her sword plunging into each one, killing her enemies without grace or ceremony. He looked back to 2B. She was getting closer...

In one final move, 9S made a call. "A2!"

She looked back at him as she held another unit at bay with the flat of her heavy sword.

His gaze was desperate and honest as he removed his battered and ruined visor, revealing to her disorienting, red eyes. "Kill me."

Unsurprised and inwardly grateful, 9S almost let out a sigh of relief as A2 beat back the last few remaining units in a flare of red aura and turned to him without hesitation.

Glancing over her shoulder at the corrupted YoRHa that had once again set their sights on his body, A2 approached 9S' downed form, half straddling him as she leveled the tip of her crackling blade with what she knew to be the location of his black box.

"As she was about out thrust forward, 9S stopped her. "Wait!"

Through her bangs, she looked at him, her hair almost enveloping him like a curtain as he shakily grappled with the hilt of the sword that lay next to him. Mimicking a very rudimentary and seldom practiced protocol, 9S imparted his data into his sword, uttering the command in a soft whisper. Offering it to A2, he made his last wish known. "Please… You… There are a lot of people that still need help…"

She continued to stare at him, blinking and looking down to grasp the blade in his hand as she evenly leveled her gaze to meet his again.

"Help them. Take care of them, A2. A-and 2B…" His eyes shut as her calls of his name rang across the gap as she struggled her own swarm of machines. No doubt a courtesy of the network terminal. "She's going to need your help from now on. So please… She's quiet, compliant and she won't complain. She holds it in. She just keeps forcing it all down…it's a bad habit of hers." He smiled. "Her future…she deserves… She deserves better. She's been through so much… Please, protect her for me… _please_."

Something 9S vaguely interpreted as understanding passed through A2's eyes and she fully gripped the blade out of his hand. Leveling the golden tip of his weapon to his black box, A2 pierced the blade through his core and through the wooden plank below.

Blinding pain shot through 9S and almost instantly, the red-clad girls that had been haunting his every step for weeks began to fade away. As the pain began to leave his system, 9S turned his gaze to the sky. Barely aware of A2 reengaging the other fallen YoRHa on solid ground, 9S could faintly make out his own name on the calls of 2B as she cradled his head in her hands.


	4. Despair

_No._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _No._

"9S."

Velvet gloved hands moved over the cheeks of the young man in front of her.

"9S…"

A smile stared lifeless towards the sky, chapped and bruised lips adorning the face of the dead scanner.

"9S… Ni-" Her voice caught in her throat. Her fingers flexed and uncurled as 2B shakenly drew her hands from his head and brought them to her mouth.

2B stared, feeling barren and empty. A cold, numbing buzz lit her fingers and a dark, sinking sensation grew in her stomach.

Not 10 minutes ago, she was resting. Trusting him to come back soon. The Bunker was gone. The Commander was gone. 6O was gone. 21O was gone. Everyone was gone. And yet…

The noises around her drew to a harsh quiet, her senses growing dim. The sounds of guttural yells and grunts of pain became increasingly distant. Lifting her gaze, she mimicked the fallen soldier whose head laid in her lap. She stared into the sky, only barely acknowledging the wind rushing past her tears as they ran down her cheeks.

 _And yet, just suddenly… I feel so alone…_

Vulnerable.

Afraid.

Weary.

Lost.

Guilty.

Angry.

Torn.

Robbed.

Wronged.

Helpless.

Powerless.

Alone.

So alone…

* * *

 _ **"Y'know, 2B. This war… It's not so bad…as long as I have you around."**_

 _ **She smiled. A warm, full and relieved smile. "Nines… Yeah. I…know what you mean."**_

* * *

It had been three years.

Three years. She had taken care of him for three years. They had taken care of each other. No matter how bad it got, they were always there for each other. When he woke up, with no memory of who he was, she would be there as his partner. When she was in pain, bloody, broken and battle-worn, too far away from help to request a new body, he would be there to carry her back home. When the days grew dark and gloomy… When the weeks blended into a bloody and pointless mess and their efforts seemed to be going nowhere… When depression hit its high, they would be there to hold each other together.

They had made it this far. Everything had gone to shit, and they had still made it. They were there. They had made it. They were so close… It was nothing short of a grim blessing, 2B had thought.

"You were on your way back…" She ground out the words through her tears, barely mustering the will to speak.

They had successfully made it through hell itself for three straight years. As long as they had each other… And now, she cradled his lifeless head in her lap, the dead weight of his body unmoving on the swaying bridge.

He was her comrade, her friend, her guilt, her curse, her passion, her drive, her confidant, her love. She failed to protect him year after year when she was with him and _right_ when that curse had finally been lifted…when she could finally be free from her duty, life still found a way to take him from her. He was the man who knew too much and she was the woman who had to put him down. The only thing that helped right the continuous conclusions of what had been their twisted situation, salvage it for either of them, was the fact that it was her who was doing it. She did it for him. That's what he told her, that's what she told herself. If it wasn't her, it would be someone else. And this time, it _was_ someone else…

A feeling like hot bile rose in her chest as her breathing quickened.

They didn't even have to do it anymore… They were free. The deception, the executions… 2E was dead. YoRHa was dead. "And…" Tears fell to his face again as she began to weep. "You're gone, 9S… Forever."

Righteous frustration suddenly gripped 2B as she held her head in her hands and screamed. Abandoning all pretense, she released a desperate cry as the dam broke all at once. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Tears poured down her face and wet her gloves.

"You didn't deserve this!" She didn't deserve it. The person she loved the most was him. The person who made her feel most whole was him. The person who made her happiest was him. The only person who could truly feel her pain was him. The person she was willing to risk it all for…wanted to make sure she never lost was him. He was her shoulder to lean on, the person she couldn't bear to see in pain, the one person she wanted to protect the most, and she failed. She fucking failed. She was robbed. Wronged. Their situation had been bastardized. None of this was supposed to go this way. And there were so many things she still had to say, so many things he still didn't remember. He's been hurt. Hurt beyond repair. He'd been killed. Killed one last and final time. Her 9S. For all eternity. She lost her Nines. She'd finally lost him...

To _her_ …


	5. Retribution

Every muscle in 2B's body tightened, each synthetic strand bundling, flexing and swelling almost painfully around her alloyed bones as she crouched, her right heel poised in front of her. Almost taking a runner's stance, 2B hovered above 9S' body, each leg on other side of his frame, unable to let go. Even as she clenched her right hand, eyes set in a deathly cool upon the battle on the other side of the bridge, she trembled. Her left hand still softly supported his head. Finally and painfully, she slowly let go and his he came to rest on the wood again.

At once, she sprung, her lithe form blurring across the bridge. In an instant she cleared the distance, her heeled boot touching solid ground and turning the offending rock beneath it to dust as she dashed straight into the unruly nest of battle.

As she tore into the fray, she threw her elbow into the spine of a corrupted unit, feeling its vertebrae shatter as her momentum and muscle drove the blow further into the unit's back. Almost with tunnel vision, the various black mobs around her slowed to blurred apparitions as her view of A2 grew clearer. Every strike aimed her way as she drew more and more attention to herself missed its mark as she bobbed and weaved through the mass of fallen YoRHa. As she tucked her head low, dodging blades and gauntlets, her legs were constantly adapting to her changing path through the mob. She had one target and one goal on her mind. Throwing a palm out, her hand connected with the hip of a corrupted unit that she used as leverage as she vaulted over the low swinging roundhouse of another, pivoting her airborne body to balance the smooth ivory of Virtuous Grief's handle sliding out of her palm with a smooth hum as it cleanly speared three of the units that had trailed after her.

As her heels touched the ground, she returned her gaze to her front, shifting her head slightly and narrowly dodging the electrified gauntlet that came blistering towards her face. Keeping herself close to the attacker, she caught the unit's right shoulder under her own, twisting and throwing her weight forward to slam her opponent to the ground. Without loosening her grip or breaking her stride, she landed a heel on the corrupted unit's abdomen and before taking her next step, used the leverage to all but rip the unit's arm out of socket, listening callously as its feminine screams of pain rang though its filtered mask. Slinging the writhing body at the legs of the units in front of her, 2B leapt as their collapsing bodies acted as a foothold to launch herself forward above the heads of the crowd and back in, mere feet away from her target.

Summoning Virtuous Treaty to her open palms, 2B swung herself around, counteracting the weight of the weapon before steeling her muscles and slamming the snow white metal into the crackling heft of A2's Type-4O Blade.

Eyes almost wide in shock, A2 stumbled and yanked fruitlessly as 2B expertly maneuvered her weapon, twisting the hilt and catching the gears of A2's sword in the alloyed appendage that emerged from Virtuous Treaty's hilt. Acting quickly, A2 took advantage of 2B's strength and in a split moment, used the suspended interlocked swords as a bar to swing her heels straight into 2B's breasts.

Momentarily pushed back, 2B, rearmed with Angel's Folly, immediately returned to the offensive faster than A2 could regain her footing, prompting the prototype to hastily resummon the Type-4O Blade to deflect the winged bracer that 2B sent rocketing for her chest. The force of the ejected gauntlet slammed the electrified flat of her blade into her face and stuttered her optics momentarily. As her rear connected with the ground, A2 swung her leg low in an attempt to trip the advancing Executioner. Undaunted, 2B steeled herself, stance wide and rock solid as she threw herself into a barrage of jabs and hooks to A2's downed form. On autopilot and rolling with the momentum, A2 dodged the flurry and quickly returned to her feet just as 2B slammed her heeled boot into the ground where A2's head had been.

The two combat models faced off at the edge of the canyon. The billowing long hair and stoic face of one contrasting with the windswept short hair and cold, furious face of the other, bordering on tears. Subconsciously, A2 brandished her weapon again, this time both in an attempt to keep 2B at bay and keep her distance from the advancing corrupted units as she lept onto a rock protruding out over the canyon below. The almost deafening sound of laced explosions from 2B's pod fending off the corrupted units lit her ears as she met 2B's masked visage again. As their stern gazes met, the look on 2B's face suddenly shattered, almost caught off guard as she slightly lowered her face from A2's. Following her attacker's apparent gaze, A2 locked eyes with the brilliantly glowing golden blade of her…of 9S' sword, pointed directly, almost accusingly at 2B.

She hadn't even realized she had summoned it.

It was almost an instinctual act. She had always only circulated between the two Type-4O weapons she had stolen from a YoRHa unit that had tried to apprehend her in the past. And yet as she was defending herself from 2B, that sword came to her almost as simply and comfortably as any other. As she leveled her gaze with 2B's masked eyes again. She watched as 2B's lips quivered. She'd had an inkling before, but now, with the data that 9S had implanted in her, everything was crystal clear. Watching as 2B's grip on her sword tightened and re-tightened, something bubbling forth from within her spurred her to speak out in a tone she wasn't used to… "2B-"

Suddenly the ground began to shake and the sound of vicious tremors rocked the expanse. Pale white structures exploded from the earth beneath them and grew towards the sky. 2B herself had her attention ripped from A2 as she looked behind her, seeing a great white structure growing in the distance, taller than any of the pieces emerging around them. Pieces of rubble from the commercial facility began to fall around them, crushing fallen YoRHa units and threatening the two remaining YoRHa themselves. As 2B returned her gaze to A2, she watched almost incredulously as A2 turned to dive into the canyon, her path to the bridge blocked off and the ground beginning to fall beneath her feet. _Better to fall where I know I'm not going to be crushed than to stay here and hope for the best._ As she moved to jump, her head was snapped back at the contact of stinging pain at the back of her head.

The glowing wire program of Pod 042 reeled A2 in brutally as 2B moved to meet her halfway. In a desperate move, A2 brought Cruel Oath up and slashed the cord at the root, just inches from her scalp. Narrowly dodging the jab of 2B's outstretched sword, A2 dashed, stumbling at the rumbling earth beneath her as she threw herself from the cliff. 2B made after her, but lost her footing as the ground beneath her gave way. As she fell to the ground, she barely caught sight of the rubble plummeting towards her and made a last ditch roll out of the way.

As A2 fell, grip still steeled on 9S' sword, she barely caught the voice that spoke to her through the wind howling past her ears. "Proposal: hold on to this pod in order to avoid being put in critical condition."

"W..what?!" A2 almost blanched as she for the first time took notice of the pod that had been hovering above her shoulder for the past five minutes.

"Repeat: hold on to this pod in order to avoid being pu-"

"Shit!" Frantically grabbing for Pod 153, A2 clutched the pod to her chest as the ground approached at blistering speed.

* * *

A/N: I apologize that these last two chapters haven't been as long as the first three, but I have recently become extremely busy in my daily life. Splitting my attention amongst all over my tasks, this is the best way I can keep updating the story: in slightly shorter segments so that I don't forget about it or end up updating only once every two to three months. Don't worry though. I won't maintain this approach for more climactic and needy chapters where a style of updating would ruin the progression. If I need to, you can totally expect longer more whole chapters in those occasions. Just know that the updates might be further apart in those scenarios.


	6. Author's Note

Hi all. I apologize, but I regret to inform you that I will not be able to see this story through to the end, and as a result it will be put on indefinite hiatus.

Just kidding! If you haven't already, could you go ahead and leave your thoughts in a review for whichever chapters you haven't commented on already? Primarily the latest one(s). Reviews tend to help, so thanks!


	7. Aftermath

A2's heeled feet skidded against the cobbled cliffside as gravity launched her towards the bottom of the canyon, the coal black pod hugged against her chest working double time to slow her descent. The sound of shifting rocks and the odd grunts she released as she made her way down made an uncouth and noisy contrast to the otherwise silent dark of the ravine. Even the once deafening quakes from before had grown to but a soft rumble as her feet finally met the bottom of the canyon.

Stumbling forward, she released the pod from her vice-like grip and turned, looking back at the top of the cliff where she jumped. Her shoulders sagged with the feeling of a weight being dropped from her shoulders as she found no pursuers. Without wasting any more time, A2 turned and made her way to the back of the canyon where she knew an elevator would be able to take her back up the cliff. From there, she would make her way to her stone room in the abandoned castle and rest. As she entered the elevator and closed the door, A2 jumped as she caught something fly in out of the corner of her eye. Summoning her sword and striking, A2 was surprised again, this time by the fact that she had called that golden sword yet again and the fact that its blade bounced harmlessly off the reflective panels that surrounded her victim.

 _This pod…_ "Are you following me?" she asked plainly.

The soothing female voice emanating from the pod responded almost with a nod. "Affirmative. This pod has been reassigned to support YoRHa Unit A2 via last command of YoRHa Unit 9S. As such, this pod will follow Unit A2 and work to aid her in the support of her new mission."

 _Mission…?_ "What new mission?" A2 asked almost incredulously.

Rather than the same unchanging cadence again, what greeted A2's ears was a recording. _"Please… You… There are a lot of people that still need help… Help them. Take care of them, A2. A-and 2B…"_ An obvious cut was heard as the recording jumped forward to a later point. _"She's been through so much… Please, protect her for me…please."_

A2 leveled the pod with an unfeeling gaze. As the pod waited for a verbal affirmation, silence settled between the two, almost as though both refused to give in to the other's apparent whims.

As the elevator continued to rise, the pod suddenly spoke, perhaps thinking her charge incapable of addressing her correctly. "You may refer to this pod as Tactical Support Unit 153."

Finally the elevator opened and without missing a beat, A2 turned away with a click of her tongue and began scaling the cliffside. As she rounded the corner to the commercial facility, she stopped in her tracks. The gate had been utterly destroyed. Nothing but rock and dead android bodies littered the expanse in front of the bridge. As she approached the rubble, 153 spoke again.

"Scanners indicate that YoRHa Unit 2B is trapped beneath the fallen structure." A soft buzz lit A2's spine as that news met her ears. "Unit A2 should assist Unit 2B and return to Resistance base to convene with the remaining androids."

A2 proceeded towards the rubble and upon reaching the wreckage, began scaling the pile of fallen rock, uncaring for the mutilated YoRHa that were crushed in its wake. As she touched ground on the other side, she began making her way back towards the forest kingdom.

"Proposal: Unit A2 should turn back and assist YoRHa Unit 2B."

"Go away." A2's voice was husky and callous, almost as though rough from lack of use.

"Negative: This pod was assigned to YoRHa Unit A2 by order o-"

"I don't care who assigned you and I don't care what you think I'm supposed to do. I have one goal right now and helping her is not a part of it. Go assist her yourself."

"Negative: This pod lacks the required strength to assist YoRHa Unit 2B-"

"Tough shit."

"-and has been assigned to assist YoRHa Unit A2."

A2 nearly stopped in her tracks, grumbling in frustration. "If he cared so much about her, why didn't he just assign you to her?"

"YoRHa Units are only authorized to command one Tactical Support Unit at a time. Repeat: Unit A2 should turn back and assist YoRHa Unit 2B."

"Somehow I don't think she'd be happy to see me right now."

"Negative: YoRHa Unit 2B is known for being one of YoRHa's most level-headed field units."

A2 was silent, almost pensive as a conflicting feeling settled in her abdomen.

"Hypothesis: YoRHa Unit 2B will understand."

"Did you miss what happened not 10 minutes ago? She was after me like a wild animal!" A2 whipped back around to face the pod as her patience reached its limit.

The pod was silent for a few, pensive beats before finally replying. "Unit 2B will understand."

Exasperated, A2 turned away and continued her "Get the hell away from me. The _only_ thing I'm going to do is destroy every last machine I can goddamned find."

The pod was silent again for a while, trailing behind A2 as she continued through the forest. "If this pod assists Unit A2 in carrying out her preferred mission, will Unit A2 then consider honoring the last wish of YoRHa Unit 9S?"

The way that sentence was delivered sounded almost emotional to A2 and she tentavely slowed to a halt, a strangely off-putting sense of fondness buzzing through her circuits as she locked eyes with the black chassis of the pod. With a snort, she replied almost too nonchalantly. "Sure."

"Locating high concentrations of machine lifeforms. Planning tactical apprehension strategy. Plotting course."

Before she could even respond to the pod's sudden soundoff, an awareness for a plotted point somewhere in the Flooded City was embedded in her consciousness. "Wha-"

153 Interrupted, "Proceed to the plotted point and neutralize the machine threat there."

Satisfaction flooding her psyche as she broke into a brisk jog, A2 made her way to the deserted coastline.

* * *

Pain and pressure squeezed 2B's body as she slowly came to. All that surrounded her was an inky black expanse. Pushing off of the ground, she grunted as her back quickly met a solid surface. Stubbornly, she attempted to lift the object out of her way. As she pushed against the immense weight, a dangerous grinding resounded around her as the suddenly displaced rocks above her toppled down from their disturbed positions. 2B cried out in pain as the rubble pinned her body to the dirt.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled to regain focus amidst the newly broken bones that she sustained. Shakily, she lifted her hand to the nearest obstruction and tried to feel for a way out, but everything she touched was slick with a substance that soaked her gloves and prevented securing a firm grip. She didn't even need to recognize the smell to know that it was her own blood. The almost numb pain that radiated from her palms were enough to verify that she had at least in part burst them open. The grim truth however was that the rest of her body was in a similar state. The more reinforced sections of her alloyed body had survived the sudden shift in rubble, but most of her joints were entirely inoperable. Refusing to give in, 2B continued to push against the fallen cinderblock, but couldn't muster the strength to make anything budge. Succumbing to her wounds, she laid her head against the rock pinning her left arm to the dirt, entirely exhausted and quickly losing blood. As her breathing became more ragged and labored, 2B's system began to short out and her vision faded.

* * *

A/N: I apologize for the long wait time and the shortness of this chapter. I know the feeling. I've been extremely busy and life has been moving incredibly fast. I just wanted to get this chapter out to before a few months turned into a year or more, but trust when I say the next will be more worth waiting for.


	8. The Last Hope

Within the dark hold of the crumbled ruins, 2B stirred. Coming to, she waited for her eyes to refocus before reassessing her situation. She stared at her hand, pinned helplessly under tons of rock. The pain had long since subsided and now all she felt was a numb ghost of an awareness for the appendage. Looking around, she saw the amount of blood that surrounded her, blood that she was still losing, and quickly. Despite how fruitless she knew the effort was, she began to struggle.

"Pod…" Scanning the small space she was trapped in, she began weakly. "I don't see you."

After a short pause, 042 responded. "This pod is trapped in a compromising location and cannot move. Assistance is required."

Huffing a short sigh of relief, 2B let her head drop to the ground again. "Well that makes two of us. See if you can contact Anemone and have her send over a crew that can dig us out."

Without hesitation she had 042's response. "Task completed."

Cheek pressed against the blood soaked dirt, she mumbled out with a half smile. "Good work."

What minor consolation she felt in that moment however was immediately and brutally ripped away from her as reality set back in and she did all she could to fight the raging waves of grief that began to churn in her abdomen. She held on for mere moments and then slowly, almost tentavely, she began to cry. Each muffled hiccup brought more tears to her dirtied face, tears that did nothing but build up behind the confines of her dark visor. She was alone again. Just like every brief spell after a "Job well done." from the Commander and all but a kiss on the forehead from…him…as he lied bleeding out, on whatever godforsaken floor fate had chosen to greet them on that day. Bleeding out and smiling. He was always smiling when she did it, for her sake. Well…when she did it or when he did, the latter of which had become much more their mode of operation as the years built upon each other and their bond grew tighter. Thanks to him, her hand hadn't actually been forced to commit the act in what felt like years. _God_ how she loved him. It pained her to see what he made himself do just for her sake, but she would have been lying and it would do his memory an injustice to infer that she didn't find a grim appreciation in it. Upon acknowledgement of that fact however, 2B's brow furrowed as she cringed with a cold shudder. _What kindof sick and twisted world is this where someone can find solace in the fact that their closest friend chooses to commit suicide?_ Flashes of his face began to fly through her mind as she desperately tried to cling to the light, find a lifeline…a raft…something to hold her above water as she began to once again fall back into a very familiar and dark place…

"9S…9S…" She spoke it once, and then said it again and again like a mantra as if it would somehow will him back to life or make the stalking darkness go away. "9S!" At once she screamed his name and to her shock she heard a response.

"2B?! Is that you?"

A streak of disbelief ran though her body and her heart swelled before she reeled herself in and checked her frame of mind. Immediately self aware and conscious of her behavior, 2B responded as she recognized the voice. "J…Jackass?"

"Holy hell… What even happened here?" 2B could hear the pure awe in Jackass' voice as it seemed to circle the stone prison.

"Please…just help me." 2B made sure to sound off as she felt her consciousness begin to wane again.

"Don't worry, 2B! Most of us already got the message from Anemone. I was just the closest person to you. We'll hav…" The rest of Jackass' sentence was drowned out by the overwhelming call to sleep as 2B succumbed to her blood loss once again.

* * *

Tearing through the city, A2 dipped into the sewage lines and made her way through the pipes until she came upon an overcast expanse and the undeniable smell of saltwater. As she continued on, Pod 153 directed her around the backside of a leaning tower and up a hill to an elevator guarded by a masked man in tattered robes. Immediately upon seeing him, A2 slowed to a shocked and awkward teeter before halting completely in place. Arms folded, the man's head swiveled to regard her, his emotions entirely unreadable given his goggled eyes and otherwise neutral face. They quietly examined each other for a moment, A2 tentavely sizing him up and the man apparently giving her only enough attention as to figure out what she was doing there.

"…"

"…"

Holding one arm out as he slowly began, the man broke the ice. "Do you have a membership card?"

Suddenly at a loss, A2 began to search her nonexistent pockets for something to trade before remembering how she got here in the first place. Locking eyes with the black alloy of 153's metal frame, she waited for an explanation before turning back to the waiting guard, frustrated once she saw that she wasn't going to get answer. Any other time, she would have stormed off with a peppered string of contrived and biting curses, but she truly found herself intuitively and irrevocably curious as to what must have been behind those doors. "I uh…" She lamely began. "I've got…" Chancing a glance at the man's visage she could have sworn she spotted a raise of his eyebrow despite the entire top half of his face being covered. Searching her memory banks, she grabbed at the first thing that caught her eye. "I've got about 50G I can spare…" She tried to come up with what she thought was a reasonable settlement.

Like the flip of a switch, the man switched immediately from tranquil and patient to utterly incensed. "How dare you! Do you think I can be so easily bribed?! No one enters here without a membership card!"

"Er, I-"

"And 50G? Is this some kind of joke? Am I that cheap?! Begone from here!"

Like that, A2 was back on a fury high. "To hell with this!" Without another word, A2 turned around and began to walk off. As she left, she clenched her fists as tightly as she could. It was all she could do to keep herself from going back and showing the guard how she really felt.

"Wait!" The man called after her, somehow having even more to say.

Without missing a beat, she ignored him.

"I'm sorry!"

A2 slowed to a stop. _What?_

"I know it hasn't been easy for you guys today. That's why I was so nice to you when you first walked up."

Looking both incredulous and confused, A2 turned to face the guard.

"I'm not usually so patient when people show up here. I'm meant to be a lot more abrasive, but…you all have lost a lot today. Hell, by that account, we all have."

For some reason she didn't even need to see him point to the empty spot in the sky to know what he meant. The now vacant post in the cold dark of space, void of the ever watchful sentinel that looked over their well-being. The frontline, best and brightest of the android forces. _YoRHa_ , she mused to herself with slight distaste. "I see…" _Well you should know that I wasn't with them when they were vaporized or got brainwashed._ It's what she wanted to say, but a small whispering part of her conscious was itching to know what was down at the bottom of that elevator shaft. The pod had brought her here for a reason, and it was immediately after she mentioned the machines. She was going to down there if it was the last thing she did.

"Look. I can't let you in," Wow. _This really was a waste of time._ A2 started to herself. "But you do have my condolences."

"Your condolences?" Something inside of A2 snapped. _My brothers and sisters, their lives, 21O, everything they longed for and fought for has been reduced to dust and you want to offer condolences?_ "Keep your damn membership cards."

Before the man could retaliate and A2 could turn the corner, Pod 153 finally spoke as if making a last ditch maneuver. "Actually, this YoRHa Unit does retain a membership card." Producing a chip-sized item from apparently nowhere, the support unit held the "card" up for the guard to scan.

In mere moments, his response hit her and 153 like a brick wall. "I thought all Scanners were guys…?"

Once again falling silent as though it hadn't devised a way to get past this point, the pod left the question in the air, seemingly waiting for A2 to pick up the baton, though A2 thought she sensed a melancholic gait from the floating support unit.

An awkward silence fell over the trio before A2 sighed, lamely deadpanning the first thing that came to mind. "…I'm a prototype."

* * *

 **[Beginning boot sequence.]**

2B's hearing returned before her sight did, and she immediately began to catch the tail of a conversation being had mere feet away. She was only barely cognizant, but she could hear nonetheless.

"…dead." The first voice seemed like Jackass.

There was a pregnant pause before the second voice made itself known. "Oh my…God…"

And Anemone.

So she had made it back to the resistance camp. That's good. And if she was undergoing a proper boot sequence, that meant that Pod must have been there as well. As she waited for full functionality to return to her, she tried to tune back into the conversation.

"Well she was calling his name like a lost puppy when I got there-"

"Jackass…have some couth."

"Anemone, please. I'm not trying to make jokes here. It's just that when we actually went searching for him thinking maybe he had gotten into trouble himself elsewhere, the truth was much heavier than most of us had been ready for. 9S is dead, Anemone. He's really gone and this time, he's not coming back. …None of them are."

Fully making her way into the chambers where 2B was resting and out of view from her army, Anemone sat on the floor and held her head in her hands, the feeling of the weight of the world settling heavy on her shoulders. When she looked up and met Jackass' eyes again, the amount of despair and dread that clouded her expression was palpable and even shook Jackass as she stared back at her.

For the first time in years, the fringe scientist saw her leader crack.

"What the fuck are we gonna do?" Jackass was silent as she let her vent. "The whole of YoRHa is gone, our forces keep getting preyed on and one half of the last bastion we had and probably the most effective trump card against this new epidemic is now buried at the bottom of a ravine with a hole through his stomach. And 2B…" She whispered it to not bring damage to the morale of her comrades and subordinates, but Jackass felt the sorrow in her every word. They were superior in every way conceivable, sure, but maybe due to some stray line of code made to liken them to humans even more than they already were, Anemone always felt a sort of motherly connection to the YoRHa that came under her care due to the years she had over them. Beyond just a sister-in-arms, there was an extra soft spot for them. Especially those two. Like they were her rowdy little teenagers. Ever since they touched down those short three years ago, they were always getting into trouble and almost innocently continuing on like nothing ever happened, tearing through the world of machines in such a manner that she could never began to understand, in ways that always blew her mind, yet still coming back and stealing glances at each other and dancing around intimate situations. It had been a pleasure to watch them grow over these years. It was all with duty 2B when they first met those short years ago and 9S was as kind and charismatic as always. Everyone loved the way he brought light and positivity to their day, always two steps ahead and solving your problems before you even knew you had them. And of course, the almost unfathomable stonewall reliability of 2B. If there was ever a moment where you felt safe enough sleep soundly in the den of the enemy, 2B would find a way to make you feel it every day. Watching them grow and mature into the proud warriors they had become and seeing their relationship bud and absolutely bloom in the three years she had worked with them was nothing short of a daily pleasure. Sometimes their progress would seem to be almost reset for no real reason other than 9S having suffered a corrupted memory, which she figured made sense as he was probably a prime target, but then their bond would always slingshot back, developing even faster and hitting even harder than before. They couldn't be put down. It was that sort of thing that fueled and endeared them to her forces, that she saw them smile proudly at as they watched the new upstarts turn the world upside down and shake things up. They were the immovable object their morale needed. The android's answer to the machine's unstoppable force.

And yet…

"Anemone…we just…" Jackass struggled as she tried to piece together some sort of consolation. "We just have to have her back. Plus, A2 is still out there…"

Anemone stared half-lidded at the ground, one elbow on her knee and other leg laid flat as she mulled over that piece of information. "Number 2…" She hadn't had contact with her in God knows how long. Filing it away but checking out of any more time taking the consideration too seriously however, Anemone stood back up, faux light smile and confident peace in her steps as she began to make her way back to the entryway of 2B and 9S' room. Clasping her hand on Jackass' shoulder as she passed, she left her parting words before returning to her people. "I'm sorry about that. I just needed a moment. I'm fine now, thanks for your encouragement, Jackass." She smiled and this time it was genuine. I appreciate all you and your team do in breakthroughs and advancements for the cause."

Laying her own hand on top of Anemone's, Jackass responded in kind. "We all have your back Anemone. 2B, A2, the entire base. We all want peace and freedom as much as you do. You know that right? You're not alone. We all have the same goals. Don't forget that."

Giving her a nod before turning to leave, Anemone felt a weight lifted off her shoulders as she assured her comrade. "I won't. By the way, I'm sending the twins in here to check on 2B again so you're good to go. Feel free to stay if you want though."

"No, I've gotta get back out there anyways. Scientific breakthroughs aren't gonna make themselves." She responded in mock boast.

Motioning with her hand, two redheads began to make their way from their tent over to the room. "Take care of yourself, Jackass."

"You too." The Resistance's head scientist set off from the Resistance camp with a renewed sense of purpose. "I'm sure you can hear me in there. You are our light, 2B. You're our last bullet against the looming boogeyman and we're your gun. We won't let you down." Readjusting the bag on her shoulder as she began to walk, she smiled. "The whole of the Resistance is behind you with all the gunpowder you need. Just tell us where to point and by God, we'll pull the trigger with everything we've got." Turning back with one last unseen smile, Jackass reassured the resting soldier. "I'll do my best to find A2 as well. She can be a bit of a recluse, but I'm sure she wouldn't turn down a comrade in need given the situation. So chin up, kid. We won't let it end with him."

 _Jackass_ … Sighing mentally, 2B inwardly returned retreating steps and implied wave with a nod, fingers twitching as feeling began to return to her body while the twins worked. _…I hope you keep your word._


	9. Chimera

The last machine collided with the cobbled brick of the stadium walls with a satisfying explosion as A2's shin punted it across the arena.

"FINISHED!" The announcer bellowed with gusto as A2 came down from her destructive high. _This arena…I never knew there was anything like it._ A2 reveled in the ease and accessibility of the machines the establishment offered. At first, she had thought it cringeworthy, the extent to which these seemingly random androids went to in order to build a whole underground hub for machine fighting like some sort of sport, but she quickly found that the means didn't make much of a difference to her when she was tearing through machines, pain and energy flying through her circuits, exacting retribution for the lives lost on account of these invaders. "One less machine is one less machine."

Spurred by her charge's sudden statement, 153 responded. "Query: Has YoRHa Unit A2 has been satisfied by the range of machines provided by the android's underground establishment?"

A2 laughed, almost mockingly as she made her way back to the receptionist's desk. "Not even close." Without waiting for the support unit to respond, she laid her hands on the countertop as the receptionist greeted her with awestruck eyes and a big smile.

"Wow, you've set and broken almost every record in here!" Hands busying with something, she pulled up the menu again as A2 immediately began browsing through the combat options before she lifted her head up, suddenly curious.

"Almost?" She asked, feeling somewhat competitive. _There must have been a YoRHa down here_. she thought wryly.

"Yeah, there was a YoRHa Scanner and B-Unit down here a week or two ago. I haven't seen them since though. You seen them around up there?"

Without hesitation, A2 told her. "The Scanner and most of YoRHa are gone."

As soon as she said it, all noise in the small cantina suddenly stopped. Even the machines turned their large piercing glares towards her, unafraid of repercussions from their masters. Distraught gaping masks pulled over the face of every android in the room, sheer disbelief on others. A couple of them shakily ran out of the room and piled into the elevator at once, leaving their machines abandoned on the floor as they nervously and impatiently began to make calls. Suddenly the receptionist grabbed her arm and pulled her in close. "I think you should try to keep most of that information from the machines in here. If there was an uprising, I don't think we could keep everything under control." She whispered to her with a slight panic to her voice.

A2 scoffed. "I'm sure I can handle any threat these hunks of trash can dish out. You have nothing to worry about."

The receptionist didn't seem so sure. "You say that, but…"

A2 raised an eyebrow. "But what?"

"Maybe it's better if I just show you. You qualify for the S rank challenge next anyways."

Selecting the highest rank on the list, A2 nodded and made her way down to the fighting grounds. By the time she arrived, the machines were already in place. On the go-ahead from the MC, A2 charged. Fighting tooth and nail, tearing limb from limb, she blew through the hordes… But then she heard it.

"We just want to live!"

Shocked, A2 stuttered for a moment before continuing her assault. Her old comrades' faces flashed through her mind one after the other as the machines kept calling out.

"My daughter! My daughter, you killed her!"

The grip on her weapon grew tighter and the never dulling blade of Cruel Oath swung faster.

"I'm…I'm so scared…"

Suddenly she snapped. A blood curdling cry rang throughout the coliseum as A2 exploded in a torrent of red energy. "You don't have families!" Hurt and incredulous anguish bubbled in A2's stomach as her hardened heart grew harder, her anger and drive grew clearer.

 _…Do you think this makes you stronger?_

"Yes!" A2 began to grin, pain wracking every atom in her frame as time almost began to slow down around her. "The fight, this power, my release, my freedom. Justice! This lust for murder…"

 _Justice and murder don't sound the same to me._

"I…it's not murder." She screamed out in frustration. It's not murder and you know it isn't!"

The voice responded, sounding slightly annoyed this time. _I'm not even the one who said it…_

"Stop! Get out of my head! You're _making_ me think this way! Your life is done! Now let me keep living mine!"

It responded with a sense of mirthful humor this time. _Trust me. If anyone in this world has reason to be an advocate for free speech, it's me._

Two final bots thudded to the ground in front of her and their killing intent was apparent. B-mode had just run out and in the middle of her internal exchange, she hadn't even thought to gain any distance. A sixth sense led her through the familiar motions of calling out to a quick access bank within 153 and using a Large Recovery.

A2 phased out of harm's way just as a torrent of metal and synthesized wind came barreling towards her. She dodged and phased and dodged again, driving the unbreakable golden heft of her weapon through the core of the caped assailant up to the hilt. Withdrawing at once, she gained a considerable amount of damage as his partner came driving towards her with a mad lunge. Narrowly maneuvering out of what would have been a deadly blow, she turned on her heel and swiveled to face the machine again, surprised when she saw that it had already doubled back again on her. Looking down to her side, she noticed Pod 153 floating almost expectantly, as if expecting the rouge YoRHa to call on her to level out her disadvantageous position.

 _The gall…_

Instead, she exploded in a fit of fury and red tinged exhaust as she fought against gravity, roaring as she drove Cruel Oath's tip forward like a spear, grunting in frustration as it all but bounced off, the machine on one knee, clearly hurt, but still operable. On the offensive this time, she dashed forward, disappearing for the briefest of moments as the machine looked around in a panic before she appeared before him, rage evident on her face and almost molten blade raised over her head like a club as she brought it down on his head. The machine brought the titanium alloy of its spear up as it lowered its gaze towards the ground, bracing for and successfully blocking the first strike, and not seconds later, the second…and the third…and the fourth… A2 turned into an unstoppable force hellbent on its destruction, each slug of Cruel Oath's blade oozing red exhaust from hilt to tip as she slung every way her right hand would allow her to. On the final of countless blows, an upturned swing ripped the spear out of the machine's hands, and in a brief moment of terror and despair, it spoke.

"Plea-"

Its thoughts were callously ended as A2 drove her weapon through its skull and again through its core as its body hit the ground in a pathetic heap.

Tentavely, the voice tried again. _Haven't you ever thought that maybe, the world isn't so black and white?_

Worn and exhausted, A2 replied aloud, tired eyes locked on the ground as the din of the crowd's praise and the churn of her own anger grew dull and muffled. She chuckled once before the smile fell limply from her face and her cold couth returned it always did. She began bitterly, "…What the fuck do you know? We're not the same."

 _But now, she is…_ Before her stood the form of YoRHa Unit No. 9 Type S, not a wound on his body, thick leather-clad hands still jet-black, visor still fit snugly in place. He stepped forward as he began to tried to reach her. _You know what she's going through. The pain of losing someone you love. Not even that…of losing everything you've ever known and believed in all at once. No preparation, no failsafe, everything…gone._

"Don't talk about what I've gone through…as if you know me…" Her fists clenched and she began to shake.

 _A2_ … He started again, even softer this time. _You're right. I don't know you…I know. Not even the records had much on you that actually gave insight into what you were forced to experience. I'm sorry about your friends. I truly am. Even I at least know that pain to an extent, but only you can save 2B at this point. The pain of losing not only your comrades but even your closest friend. Your_ entire _world. That's a rare burden. Are you going to stand by and mindlessly kill machines in the name of "justice" and "revenge" while the same corruption and despair destroyed your comrades,_ a jolt ran across A2's shoulders as he mentioned them again and she began to shake terribly as she continued to stare, hard at the ground. _The same despair that's still consuming you!_ She began to blink rapidly, body frozen on the spot and lip upturning as her vision got blurry. _Consume another person?_ The first hot tear fell down her dirt stained cheek as she chewed painfully on her lip. _Don't let them…those two girls…_

When he mentioned them, A2's eyes snapped open wide and she looked up at him.

Taking his visor off and meeting her eyes with his own, brilliantly blue and unyielding, he continued. _Don't let them claim another, A2. Don't let them win!_

The dam finally broke, and for the first time in two long years, A2 cried freely.

Silently, 9S stood before her, heart wanting to but unable to do anything to comfort her. Even as she stood there, tears streaming down her face and chest jolting with each sharp intake.

She didn't care that audience was still looking. She didn't care that she'd sworn an oath to obliterate every last machine before she died. She didn't care.

Right now, all she wanted to do was cry. The weight, the anguish, the tireless days, the aching bones, the endless solitude, desperate loneliness and most of all, the crushing, ridiculing realization that she may never achieve her goal, never have an impact and nothing she ever did would undo what had been done to them…to her. She had spent so many years just spinning her wheels and running on fumes. It was mentally exhausting. Many days, she struggled to find a reason to even go on. "Machines, machines." That was always what it came down to. That was her drive. That kept her going. No matter how mindless and fruitless it often started seeming, she beat down that feeling without remorse continued to forge down the blood trail. But now…maybe… Maybe she could…just for this one time, give it…a chance.

' _Don't let them claim another, A2. Don't let them win!'_

One last operation…

"Why me, 9S?" She finally spoke, voice hoarse, almost raspier than it already was. Wiping her eyes and looking up, 9S noticed her expression was almost lighter. Even if for just this moment, she seemed like she had less on her plate. "The obvious aside…I know not many androids can fight like we do. But was this just desperation?"

Eyes shifting down for a moment, they shifted back up to look at her again. _I won't lie. That was a last ditch move…I hadn't thought it through much. But A2, what doesn't change is the fact that you her last hope. You know the pain she has now, know it better than anyone._

Sensing an opening for a smartass jab, she asked him with mock interest, "Even better than you?" Maybe it was a side effect of the data in that sword, but she couldn't resist teasing him when the oppurtunity presented itself. "I've got a good bit of your memories now. In fact it says here you never cared about her at all."

His visage faltered and she heard his cadence shift dangerously. _A2…_

She ignored it though. His voice was soothing and he was a good guy, but she wasn't going to make this _that_ easy for him. The way he spoke as if he had authority over her was starting to get on her nerves. It reminded her of the Commander.

"I have some of your feelings now too. If you're not careful, I might steal her away from you. Not that you're… _around_ to protect her anyways."

A biting retort started to formulate on his tongue, but it died on his lips. 9S closed his eyes, sighing as he realized what she was doing. Distracting herself from the weight of the moment with quips and backhanded comments. He decided to humor her. _Somehow I don't think I have to worry about that._ He said with a knowing tone.

"Oh really? I know about 6O. Maybe she rubbed off on her a bit…or a lot?"

 _Are we talking about the same girl here? YoRHa No.2 Type B? About ye high with heels? Cute black headband, perfectly kempt bob, glossy lips, warm skin every it's supposed to be, picture of beauty, actual body worth looking at? Looks like you only not on a discount at a garage sale?_

For some reason, that one hit a nerve. She sighed in frustration as her eyebrow twitched slightly. "The things I'd do to you right now if I could touch you."

 _So you_ don't _roll that way._

"Big bad scanner can't take a joke?" A2 bit back, and she actually felt herself begin to crack a smile. She felt feelings coming back now that she hadn't felt since…

 _Well I had no way of knowing. For all I knew you really were trying to copy_ every _aspect of me, not just the hair._

"Well your widow didn't really give me a choice in the matter. It was my hair or my head."

9S' smile fell at that. And upon seeing it, A2's did too. The mood was suddenly lost and the two stared at the ground as silence overtook them. _A2…_

"Hm." She regarded his call, knowing full well what she was saying. Waving her hand in the air as her spunk returned, she waved him off. "Yeah, yeah."

 _Everyone's counting on you. 2B's counting on you. Do this for her, for the world. Or at least for yourself. Please?_ As he faded away, he gave one last smile and raised a mock salute. _Glory to Mankind._

Raising her middle finger to him as she disappeared with a shit eating grin, she smirked at him. "Go fuck yourself."

And suddenly she was alone. Only surrounded by Pod 153, who had been suspiciously quiet this whole time even after the reappearance of her master, a stone arena and an audience looking slightly confused, but no less enthused than they had been when she first killed the machine that lay at her feet, eyes just now dimming and twitching subsiding before exploding moments later.

One last operation.

"I'm the only one, huh?" Looking up and examining the illustrious sheen as the slight light from the stadium reflected off of her golden blade held high, held comfortably in her grip, she made up her mind. _Alright_. "YoRHa Unit No.9 Type S? YoRHa Unit Type A No.2 formally accepts your request."

From the stands, wrapped in a hood and wearing conspicuous goggles, Jackass observed in awe as the battle officially came to a close. "Damn, A2. She really is all I expected her to be." Returning to the lobby, she took the elevator back to the surface and bade farewell to the bouncer. Rounding the corner past the leaning skyscraper, she made the call to 2B.

In the background, she could here what must have been the twins making repairs. Good on them. She'd have to tell them to get ready to tend to another YoRHa for when A2 got back.

"Jackass!" 2B clearly hadn't removed her visor, but the surprise and anticipation was still evident on her face. "Did…did you find her?"

"You'll be pleased to know that I did. Keep this quiet as I don't think Anemone would take very well to people wasting their time playing with machines for sport, but I found a secret underground machine fighting arena. A2 was down there really going to town."

"A-ah… I see." 2B responded rigidly.

Jackass thought she saw a flash of irritation run through 2B's features and she brought it up. "You okay? You look kinda pissed…"

"Not to worry Jackass. It's just that 9S and I actually know that place. We've…spent our fare share of time there you could say. I wouldn't want Anemone to know. Could make things awkward…" 2B trailed off slightly as she though about the outfit they had won for their efforts. She only wore it the one time and he hadn't been too heavy handed at all, but 9S seemed to…like it...to say the least. Now she didn't even have reason to wear it… And she's down there just having a blast, destroying things, because that's all she knows how to do. Is destroy. 2B's thoughts got increasingly agitated and her lips began to twitch before she remembered she was in a call. "Is she still there?"

Jackass' face was dubious and filled with concern. "…Yeah…" Maybe to an average person, 2B's lie would have gone unnoticed, but Jackass was an analyst by trade and 2B was straying a bit from her usual cold professionalism ever so slightly. "2B-"

"Are you almost finished?" The YoRHa turned to the twins, tone overtly impatient.

Devola responded dryly, throwing in a yawn for good measure. "Yeah just give us a sec."

" ** _Hurry up._** " 2B quickly ground out the words with malice and Popola jumped with a short whimper in response.

In defense of her sister, Devola stood her own, shaky ground against the assassin. "Hey what's your problem, 2B?! We're trying to help _you._ "

Ignorant of the stunned look on Jackass' face, 2B stood up. As she made her way towards the doorway, she brushed them off. "We're done here."

Popola tried to appeal to android's retreating back. "Wait 2B! We haven't finished all viral checks! You could still be infected!"

"That's fine. I think we would know by now." She responded without looking as she tested out her combat system, summoning her sword to her hand.

Finally, Jackass tried to intervene. "2B, I think you might be a little tired…" She waited for a response, testing the waters before jumping to her next point. "Maybe we should let Anemone kno-" She stopped abruptly as she saw 2B tense up, so she added quickly. "I mean after all, she's kind of like the Commander at this point, right? She's kind of a stand in given all that's happened."

"No." 2B replied plainly. "Technically I should outrank all of you. Besides, she'd be upset if she knew about the fighting ring."

"2B this isn't about that and you kno-"

"Just…shut up, Jackass." 2B's tone was final and the room went dead silent.

"But just remember!" 2B smiled with an overly compensated tone of sweetness and the reaction of Jackass' face was one that was clearly unnerved. Even behind her, Devola and Popola nervously exchanged glances with each other as they looked over the results of their final check on 2B's circuits. "Don't tell Anemone!"


End file.
